Chapter 44: Chapter 44 – Horua and the Dreamer
Wyntor looked at Horua, sighed, and handed Nick two sheets of paper.
One of them was an NDA, which made sure that Horua wouldn't tell anyone about the company's secrets, and the other one was the employee contract.
Nick took the NDA and started to read it to Horua.
"Nick, you don't have to read it to me. I can read myself," Horua said.
Nick's eyes widened in surprise. "You can read?" he asked in shock.
Horua nodded. "Father taught me when I was young."
"Well, okay," Nick said as he handed the NDA over.
Horua read through everything in just a couple of minutes and nodded.
A moment later, he signed it.
"You have no questions?" Nick asked in surprise.
"I just can't tell anyone about anything specific, right?" Horua asked.
"Eh, yeah, sure. That's about it," Nick said.
Horua nodded and grabbed the actual contract.
After reading through it, Horua became shocked.
"I get to keep 10% of what I produce?!" he asked. "Isn't that a lot of money?"
Nick also looked at the contract since it was different from his own.
Sure enough, Horua got to keep 10% of what he produced.
This meant that he would get 500 credits per session with the Dreamer.
Nick asked Wyntor about the specific split of revenue.
"As the CEO and president, I get 20%," Wyntor said.
"10% go to you."
"10% go to the specific Extractor that produced everything."
"60% go to the company as funds."
Initially, Nick was a bit confused.
If Horua got 10% and Nick got 10%, then wouldn't Nick earn just as much as Horua?
Wasn't he the Chief Zephyx Extractor?
But then, Nick realized that he would get the money without actually doing anything.
And if he himself worked with the Dreamer, he would get just as much as Wyntor.
'So, if I get more Extractors, I get even more money. It's like other people are doing my work!'
However, Nick also wasn't super comfortable with that.
'I am essentially taking money from someone without doing anything. Isn't that like stealing? I mean, I didn't do anything.'
Nick looked at the Containment Unit.
'Although, I came up with the way to work with the Dreamer, and I was also the one that negotiated with it.'
'So, I guess, in a way, I actually did do something?' Nick thought with uncertainty.
'I dunno. I mean, okay, but it still feels a bit weird,' he thought as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Eventually, Nick stopped thinking about all of the moral ramifications and just watched Horua sign the employee contract.
"Good," Nick said with a bright smile as he handed the signed contract to Wyntor, who wordlessly put it into a briefcase beside his chair.
"You're now officially one of my employees!" Nick said with a bright smile.
"Happy to meet you, boss!" Horua shouted with a bright voice as he performed a cute salute.
Nick put his hand on Horua's head and ruffled his hair a bit.
"Alright, then, let me tell you about what we do here and what your job will be."
Horua nodded and listened with excitement.
Over the next minutes, Nick told Horua everything he knew about the Dreamer.
"So, I just have to sleep beside it?" Horua asked in surprise.
Horua had thought that his work would be much more difficult than just sleeping.
"Yep," Nick said with a smirk. "The Dreamer will even help you fall asleep!"
"Although, you still have to be careful! After all, it is a Specter."
Horua blinked. "Nick, what am I supposed to do if it decides to attack me?"
Nick didn't answer for a while.
Right, what was Horua supposed to do?
Even Nick could die if the Dreamer decided to attack.
What could the little Horua do?
"Eh, it probably won't happen," Nick said with a nervous chuckle. "It knows exactly that it can't just kill you. It wouldn't be in its best interest."
Horua looked worried again.
"Anyway, I think I should introduce you," Nick said as he walked towards the Containment Unit.
"To whom?" Horua asked.
"Whom?" Nick asked. "You mean who, right?"
"No, it's whom," Horua answered. "To whom will you introduce me to."
"What, why? What even is whom?" Nick asked.
"I don't know, but my father always corrected me," Horua said. "Anyway, to whom?"
"The Dreamer," Nick said.
"Wait, what?! Now?!" Horua asked nervously.
Nick nodded. "Yep."
Horua looked around nervously, but he eventually followed Nick. "Well, you're the boss."
Nick nodded and opened the employee door to the Containment Unit.
A couple seconds later, Nick and Horua entered the Containment Unit.
Horua was standing a bit behind Nick, but as he looked past Nick's torso, he could see the Dreamer.
The black owl was standing in the corner of the room, looking into Nick's eyes.
Nick had narrowed his eyes and was looking back at the Dreamer.
A bit later, the Dreamer turned its head and looked at Horua.
When Horua saw the Dreamer look at him, a cold shudder of terror shook his body.
These eyes!
For some reason, Horua felt like he was about to die!
This thing was dangerous!
He had to leave!
He had to run!
Nick noticed Horua's reaction and grabbed his arm before he could run away.
Horua just kept looking at the Dreamer as his body leaned back, ready to run away as soon as he could.
The Dreamer didn't show any reaction.
"Horua!" Nick shouted aggressively.
Horua's body shook, and his terrified eyes looked at Nick.
"You are now a Zephyx Extractor! You have to be brave and meet the danger head-on!"
Horua took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
However, when he looked at the Dreamer again, his fear exploded once more, and he tried to pull himself out of Nick's grip.
"Horua, what's going on with- Argh!"
Nick's question was interrupted by Horua biting Nick's hand.
Naturally, Nick let go of Horua, and Horua ran out of the Containment Unit in terror.
Nick furrowed his brows and looked at his slightly bleeding hand.
'What the hell is wrong with him?' Nick thought.
Nick looked at the Dreamer.
The Dreamer looked back.
"I'll be back soon."
Then, Nick walked out of the Containment Unit.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l